Ice and sludge eliminator



Feb. 29, 1944. F. LA BRECHE ET AL ICE AND SLUDGE ELIMINATOR Filed June 2'7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet L INSIDE OF LOCK FIG. 1 GATES AND SWEEP BOTH CLOSED 1944- I N. F. LA. BRECHE ET AL 2,3 ,7

I ICE AND SLUDGE ELIMINATOR Filed June 2'7, 1942 S Sheets-$heet 2 INSIDE OF LOCK F\G.- 2 GATES AND SWEEP HALF OPEN 9,194 N. F. LA BRECHE Em 2,342,140

ICE AND SLUDGE ELIMiINATOR Filed June 27, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet :5

INSIDE OF LOCK I I //GATES\\\ INCREASED AND REDIREGTED CURRENT mom POWER uozzus Ti 1 Q I .5

---4, JL b- FIG. 3

GATES NEARLY OPEN SWEEP OPEN Patented F eb. 29, 1944 ICE AND SLUDGE ELIMINATOR Neil F. La Breche and William S. Fandrei,

Ashtabula, Ohio Application June 27, 1942, Serial No. 448,876

7 Claims.

The invention provides anew and highly ellicient method of preventing the jamming of Drift ice and sludge behind canal lock gates. The device includes two separate units (each adequately described herein and illustrated by accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of my invention showing the lock gate and sweep in closed position; Figure 2' is a similar view showing the lock and sweep in partly opened position: while Figure 3 is a similar view showing the lock and sweep completely open.

The drawings shows our invention in a schematic manner applied to a canal lock in which I are the gates hinged to swing into recesses I in the lock walls. Arranged in the lock walls adjacent the hinges of the gates are nozzles 6. These nozzles are disposed just below the normal water level in the lock and are directed to discharge a powerful stream of water upstream of the lock at an acute angle to the walls thereof. The supply of water to these nozzles is controlled by rapid opening and closing valves l such as are well known in; the art and these valves may be provided with by-pass means I I to pass a small amount of water .to the nozzles to prevent freezing during the winter time. As is manifest from the, drawings; the effect of a stream of water discharged between the gate and the gate recess is such that as the gate opens a powerful surface current of water is created which clears the angular space between the gate and gate recess of ice and sludge which would otherwise jam between the gate and the lock wall and prevent the full opening of the gate.

It is stipulated here that the power nozzle unit is not intended to retard or alleviate the formation of ice around the gates. "It is specifically designed to drive away from behind the lock gates the heavy drift ice and sludge, the formation of which is inevitable and the drifting downstream of which is also inevitable. It can read-' ily be seen from drawings thatthe lockgate must open with an upstream swing because of its structure. Therefore the pressure of the gate in an upstream motion is counteracted by the drift ice and sludge drifting downstream which jams in behind the gate, fills up the aperture in lock wall and prevents gate from reaching the amination of drawings will clearly show how this condition is madeto exist.

The water forced fromtthe nozzle will cause a surface current and not an under-tow, therefore will not affect vessels moored in or above the lock. It can be seen from drawings that when power is on the nozzles it forces ice and sludge away from in back of lock gates. When gates are in the process of opening it will form a passage for ice and sludge to move around end of gate and out of the way; and as gate travels to open position after passing degree angle it will cause a higher velocity and re-direct current action until gates are parallel to lock wall or in open position, therefore removing any remaining ice and sludge at a higher rate of speed. The current action of from nozzle after gate has passed 45 degree angle to full open position, would have the same effect asa steamship rudder has on the current set up by'the propeller from midship to hard right rudder angle.

The second unit of the device consists of an ice sweep 3. As shown in the drawings the upstream end is hinged to lock wall at 4, this hinge being stationary on the walland allowing upper arm of sweep to swing only to right angle or 90 degrees from parallel to lock wall. The other extremity of this arm is hinged to a second arm 3 which in turn is mounted at its extreme down stream end to slide on a-track mounted on the sides of the recess 3 in the lock wall. Therefore both ends are fast to lock wall or blind, never leaving the wall and therefore prevent drift ice and sludge from getting in behind it as it extends from well above the water line to below ice level. We do not claim av new or unique type of slide asvapplicable types already exist and also because the size and length of this slide would vary according to the. width of the particular canal lock to which the unit was being applied. Therefore we merely stipulatethat the lower or downstream end of sweep is mounted onslides so that pressure directed against it in provided and essential open position to allow passage of a vessel. It cannot reach this position because its berth in lock wall is full of drift ice and sludge and cannot get out unless forced back upstream clear of end of gate. An exan upstream directionand in a line parallel to lock wall, will cause sweep to converge and achieve closed position with upper arm at right angles to lock wall and lower arm braced against wall holding the position. When left and right sweeps are in closed position it is readily seen that drift ice and sludge is adequately blocked away from the area of gate movement. The reverse of the above action will bring sweep to an open position, that is the lower arm retreats along the wall until the entire unit is parallel to and imbedded in the lock wall. In this position,

it is entirely clear and not an obstruction to passing vessels. Attention is called to the fact that in closing the sweep unit moves upstream to a 90 degree angle. In opening it moves downstream to parallel to lock wall.

It is specified that the sweep unit is not intended to act as a barricade to protect the gates below it. It is intended to block off drift ice and sludge from the gate area of movement, which otherwise would jam in behind the gates and prevent them from opening until ice was removed. To further clarify this we mention that the gates are in structure, a self supporting semicircle, the arc of which subtends upstream. Because of this they must open upstream, into the current and drifting ice and sludge. Therefore one set of gates above another would act as a protection for another set below them but in actual operation would be just as helpless as the active gates when drift ice and sludge jammed in behind them. The sweep unit is expressely to block off drift ice and sludge from the area of gate movement and not to protect the gates themselves.

And the sweep unit is in operation, the exact opposite to the gates; that is, it opens with a downstream movement and closes with an upstream movement. Therefore, it does not have to go beyond a right angle position to the lock wall in the upstream direction.

It must be specified here that in applying the E units of this device to canal locks, with relation to the change in water levels brought about by actually locking vessels up and down the following is stipulated:

In the case of the high level the sweep unit is constructed to function as described for the high level only and the water pressure nozzle is placed relative to the high level only.

In the case of the ultimate low level, the sweep unit is so constructed to extend from the high level on down to protect the low level also, and the water pressure nozzle is placed relative to the low level only.

It can be seen from sketch, that working 00-- ordinately, the units provide an area of virtually clear water in the area of gate movement. The sweep unit blocks off heavy drift ice and sludge and the power nozzles force ice and sludge away from behind the gates forcing it out around the end of the gate and down into lock or out of lock at lower end as the case may be. Thus, the gates are provided an area of movement of virtually clear water.

We are aware that variations of the above .25;-

described units may be in existence but claim that no such units or variation thereof or combination thereof has been created or designed for the purpose that we have outlined, namely: to eliminate the congestion or jamming of drift ice and sludge behind the gates of canal lock gates.

We are also aware that jets of water have been suggested as a means of retarding the formation of ice around lock gates but stipulate that our power nozzle is not to be confused with jets of water in that, it is a power operated and power controlled single stream surface current for the purpose of driving away drift ice and sludge by water power. The formation of ice around the gates is not herein considered opening movement.

and we make no claim whatever regarding it. We claim only the elimination of drift ice and sludge.

We are also aware that one set of gates above another has been claimed to act as a protection for another set below them. However we point out that one set of gates would be just as helpless as another when in actual operation drift ice and sludge jams in behind them on the upstream or Our sweep unit is not intended as a protection for the gates but is specifically to block off drift ice and sludge from the area of movement of the gates. Therefore the protection of the gates is not claimed herein but the elimination of drift ice and sludge from the area of movement of the gates is the sole consideration.

Therefore we claim:

1. In a canal lock having in combination side walls and gates mounted to swing up-stream toward said side walls, of nozzles connected and arranged to discharge a stream of water below the normal water level therein up stream of the look at an acute angle to the walls of the lock for the purpose specified.

2. In a device as specified in claim 1 having means for controlling the supply of water to said nozzles.

3. In a device as specified in claim 1 having means for controlling the supply of water to said nozzles wherein said means are provided with by-pass means for the purpose specified.

l. The method of operating canal locks comprising discharging a powerful stream of water up stream and at an acute angle to the lock wall just beneath the surface of the water in said lock between the lock gate and lock wall as the lock gates are opened.

5. In a canal lock in combination, a pair of gates'hinged to swing horizontally up stream of said lock and into adjacency to the walls of said locks, nozzles mounted in the walls of said locks adjacent the hinges of said locks below the normal water level thereof and directed to discharge at an acute angle to the walls of the lock upstream thereof.

6. In a canal look as specified in claim 5 sweep meansmounted up stream of the lock said sweep means comprising two pairs of gates each hinged at the middle and having one free end hingedly mounted in the lock wall while the other free end is slidably mounted on a track in a recess in the-lock wall and arranged to slide toward said lock gates and into parallelism and flush with said lock wall, said sweep gates extending vertically a short distance above and below normal water level in said lock.

'7. In a canal look, a pair of gates arranged to swing open in a direction up-stream of said lock, a pair of sweep'gates mounted up-stream of said lock gates, said sweep gates each comprising a pair of gates hinged together and having one free end hinged to the lock wall and the other free end mounted to slide along said lock wall in a direction of the lock gates and into parallelism and fiu'sh with said lock walls, saidsweep gates being of such vertical extent as to'impede the movement of surface ice into said lock.

NEIL F. LA BRECI-IE.

WILLIAM S. FANDREI. 

